The 133rd Varsity rugby match will be held to commemorate 100 years since World War Igreat british racing/oli lawrence

This year’s Varsity match will be a particularly special occasion as we mark 100 years since the start of the First World War.

In perhaps the most famous sporting fixture in the Cambridge calendar, the 133rd Varsity rugby match is this year going to be held to commemorate the passing of 100 years since the First World War and those numerous Blues players who gave their lives in the war. As a result, a minute’s silence will be held before the kick-off on December 11th.

There were around 800,000 British military deaths and more than 1.5 million casualties during the ‘Great War’, and the sport of rugby certainly felt the effects of the widespread suffering it caused, with no fewer than 130 players from around the world losing their lives.

To bring the statistics even closer to home, 55 Blues players lost their lives in the course of the war. Among these were 26 internationals, including captains of England, Scotland and the British & Irish Lions- widely considered to be some of the greatest players of their era.

“The idea of paying tribute to the Blues who served in WW1 at this year’s Varsity Match is a great one” said Oxford captain Jacob Taylor. “It is difficult to imagine how things were 100 years ago, but it is easy to respect the decision made by so many young men to step forward to serve their country.”

“Even though none of us have any connections to the 55 Blues who gave their lives so willingly, we will have something very special in common with them at Twickenham on Varsity Match day. “It will be a privilege to pay our respects to them.”

Although Cambridge are currently in an overall lead within the Varsity rivalry, with 61 wins to 57 and 14 draws, they are on the cusp of suffering a record 5th straight defeat, a run of form captain Harry Peck is keen to end.

“We cannot carry the baggage of previous defeats” says Peck, who featured in Cambridge’s 33-15 loss last year. “The shared goal of a long awaited victory is something we will use to unify and motivate our players.”

With two wins and three losses so far this season, Cambridge have had a mixed start and will need to improve their form soon in the run-up to Varsity in December.

They kicked off the season with a convincing 41-7 victory over local town rivals Cambridge RFC, before suffering losses to Welsh Academicals, Kew Occasionals and most recently to Northampton Saints.

The game against Saints was well-contested and Cambridge were in the running right up to the final whistle when they went down 19-10. The opposition were well-organised and well-drilled, containing a smattering of players with experience playing in the top tier of English rugby.

The match still seemed evenly poised at 12-3 in the Saints favour at halftime despite some poor discipline costing Cambridge two yellow cards. But when Joel Hodgson crashed over for the visitors, a fightback for the Blues looked a tough ask.

Yet they showed great character after a period of sustained pressure, when a rampaging maul gathered speed, and the forwards bundled over the line to narrow the gap to 19-10. But from here, Saints were able to close down the match and secure the win just before the game ended.

A packed November fixture list will provide ample additional game time for Cambridge players, as they’ll look to pick up a good run of results in the lead up to the Varsity match in December.

The Varsity match will take place on Thursday 11th December at Twickenham Stadium, kicking off at 2:30. Tickets are available for purchase online.